Jamie Lee Curtis And Collin Farrell Share Their Grueling Journey Towards Sobriety: “Being Sober Is Going To Be A Legacy”

Dec 23, 2022

Contrary to popular belief, people living in the public eye, in most cases, celebrities and personalities, aren’t actually free from temptations and vices. Like normal people, the actors and actresses we watch on TV who make us laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions out there, are also experiencing sadness, guilt, shame, and even helplessness from time to time. 

While some people tend to rely on dangerous substances and vices to relieve their helplessness and sorrow, many celebrities like Jamie Lee Curtis and Collin Farrell succumbed to addiction to dangerous substances as an effect of consuming large volumes of it to recover from an injury that has dealt them a great amount of pain. 

Curtis, now 64, has been gaining a lot of attention recently after her outstanding performance of a possessed IRS collector at “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” leading her to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards. On the other hand, Farrell, 46, took the headlines when he won the prestigious Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 79th Venice Film Festival for his film, “The Banshees of Inisherin” with Martin McDonagh and Brendan Gleeson. 

In a recent conversation between the two actors on Variety’s Actors on Actors, Curtis and Farrell, among many other things, talked about how staying sober has become one of the greatest gifts that life has given them. The two recalled their journey getting to the state where they are right now while also touching on their legacies as established actors in the entertainment industry. Read on to learn more about what Curtis and Farell talked about in their empowering conversation. 

Many would probably know Curtis for her iconic performances in various films like “Freaky Friday,” “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” and, more recently, “Knives Out.” She is a recipient of a Golden Globe Award, People’s Choice Award, a BAFTA, and even a Primetime Emmy Award for her roles. But with Curtis’ success came her addiction to addictive substances. 

According to People Magazine, the actress was prescribed opiates for the first time in 1989 after undergoing minor plastic surgery for her “hereditary puffy eyes.” After this, she became addicted to getting painkillers. The magazine even noted that she would even steal pills from her friends and family just to suffice her need too. 

“I was ahead of the curve of the opiate epidemic,” Curtis admitted at the time. “I had a 10-year run, stealing, conniving. No one knew. No one.”

A 2009 article from Reader’s Digest even revealed that the “Scream Queens” star was also a recovering alcoholic, apart from being addicted to painkillers. 

Like Curtis, Farrell became addicted to recreational drugs and painkillers because of a prescription medication related to a back injury. In another People Magazine report, Farrell’s publicist confirmed that he entered a treatment facility in 2005 for exhaustion and dependency. 

In an interview with Jonathan Ross in 2008, Farrell opened up about forgetting almost a decade of his life because of how badly addicted he is to drugs and alcohol. 

“I was very drunk or high for about 16 years; it was a tough life change. But I was dying, and I’m one of the lucky ones,” he confessed. 

Fast forward to 2022; the two are already sober and cleaned up, and doing well with their respective careers and lives. 

During the Variety’s Actors on Actors conversation between Curtis and Farrell, the two’s conversation somehow ended up asking each other about their legacies as artists. 

It was Curtis’ answer that steered the conversation to a whole new level, seemingly hitting straight back home for the two actors who had been working hard to be where they are right now. 

“Being sober is going to be a legacy, for sure. Because I’m stopping what has been a generational issue in my biological family. It’ll be the single greatest thing I do, if I can stay sober. Because generations of people have had their lives ruled and ruined by alcoholism and drug addiction. For me, sobriety first. Always,” Curtis eloquently said. 

Per Variety, the struggle with alcohol and dangerous substances ran in Curtis’s family as her father, Tony, became addicted, and her brother Nicholas died after an overdose. 

On the other hand, Farrell supported Curtis’ point with this poignant message:

“The whole reason art exists is because it’s an expression of the human condition. And no matter what blessings. I have, or what wealth I experience in my life, I have no more or less of the human condition than the gentleman who’s liv­­ing without a roof over his head. We’re in exactly the same place internally.” 

This was not the first time that Farrell talked about his sobriety on an emotional and almost spiritual level; speaking to Ross then, he succinctly recalled the progress he had made. 

“I don’t believe I have any chemical predisposition towards depression, but let’s just call it. I was suffering from a spiritual malady for years and I indulged it. You can feel very alive when you’re in pain,” he confessed. “I’m glad I’m out of that cycle of my life. I’m very lucky.”

Are you a fan of Jamie Lee Curtis or Collin Farrell? What do you think about their realizations? What do you think about their grueling journey? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to your friends, family, and other loved ones!